When I say I’m excited about government jobs, I mean it. They’re better than many other jobs this day and age and often provide good benefits, pensions, and to some extent, employment security. In most cases, you’ll be in good shape on many levels if you can get a government job.

There is tremendous competition for these jobs, in many cases. I worked in the Justice Department at one time, and to get a job there was incredibly difficult. Often, they received hundreds, if not thousands of applications for just one spot. Thankfully, there are a lot of government jobs out there. And they’re much easier to find than you might believe. However, most people don’t know how to find these jobs.

I’m going to tell you everything you need to know about finding federal government jobs, state government jobs, and finally, county and city jobs.

Searching for government jobs is a very complex process and involves looking through literally hundreds of different government agencies, departments, and other government websites. A good consolidator of all of these government jobs is GovernmentCrossing.com. I highly recommend using GovernmentCrossing if you want to save yourself a lot of time and frustration in your job search.



Another great source of government jobs that can save you time is Granted.com. Whether it’s city, county, state, or federal government jobs you’re looking for, Gig offers free access to job seekers to thousands of jobs in a variety of categories and industries, government being one of them.



Federal Government Jobs

 

The most common website for finding federal government jobs is usajobs.gov. You can find job openings with all of the major branches of the government, apply online, and see what the salary range is for each position.



The site USAJobs.gov is run and operated by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. They have a pretty good website, which I recommend reviewing. You can find it here:



This is a good resource because it contains a lot of information and answers numerous questions you might have regarding federal government jobs.

Ideally, USAJobs.gov would list every job from every government agency, but that isn’t always the case. Sometimes jobs are missing, which means if you are interested in a particular agency, you should look at that agency’s site directly. Because USAJobs.gov has so many positions, you might think they have every single opening listed. But that’s not true. And that’s why it is so important when looking for government work that you use other sources. Just think of all the people who don’t know this and miss out on good jobs every year because they’re not looking searching broadly enough. Don’t let that happen to you.

Besides just standard job openings, you can also see job opportunities in the federal government for students, internships, as well as other opportunities for getting involved and getting your foot in the door. You can find all of this on USAJobs.gov.

 

If you aren’t familiar with the different agencies of the government, you may not know where you’d like to work. FedWorld.gov has tons of links to the different branches and agencies. I recommend visiting this link for a comprehensive listing of the agencies: http://www.fedworld.gov/govlinks.html

If you are taking your employment search seriously, it is important that you visit the website of each federal agency. Many of the agencies will not list their jobs on USAJobs.gov, so it is extremely important that you visit each agency independently to get this information. FedWorld.gov is a good place to start when visiting various agencies for jobs.



Some of the more famous agencies where you might like to work include the CIA, the Department of Homeland Security, or the Peace Corps. These can be hard jobs to get, but don’t be afraid to apply. At the same time, you should consider some of the less flashy organizations, like the African Development Foundation, National Labor Relations Board, or FDIC.

I have provided the following list of alternative sites for you to research that are all very good:

Employment with Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security offers a variety of job opportunities where you would be responsible for preserving the country’s security. As an employee, you may play a role in law enforcement, disaster response, cybersecurity, immigration, and numerous other vital aspects of national security. The URL of the Department of Homeland Security’s job site is http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/careers. This is a good site with lots of jobs.



 

Military Jobs

Career opportunities in the military are virtually limitless. You can get the sort of hands-on training you need to explore careers in aviation, accounting, education, medicine, law, technology, and more. Plus, you’ll likely gain the necessary experience to enjoy a robust career in your chosen field in the private sector following your military service. You can view all the job possibilities the military offers at: http://www.todaysmilitary.com/military-careers. If you’re interested in a military job, that’s where you should be looking.



 

US Postal Service

 

The US Postal Service always has a lot of job openings. They provide numerous job opportunities for those looking to build a long-term career. While the general assumption is that postal employees only sort or deliver mail, the fact is the US Postal Service offers opportunities in a variety of areas from administrative, human resources, and accounting to marketing, real estate, and architecture. You can search for jobs with the postal service at: http://about.usps.com/careers/welcome.htm.



 

Jobs with the FBI

 

There are an amazing number of job opportunities with the FBI. The FBI seeks employees for both professional staff and special agent positions. Professional staff openings are available in roles such as linguistics, applied science, intelligence analysis, and business management. Government IT jobs are also part of the FBI’s professional staff job openings. For special agent positions, you may work on cases involving cyber crime, terrorism, extortion, drug-trafficking, kidnapping, and more. All employees of the FBI are expected to uphold the FBI’s core values and to fulfill the FBI’s priorities. They even have jobs for college students. The website to visit for more information is: http://www.fbijobs.gov.



 

Social Security Administration Jobs

The Social Security Administration has branches in almost every decent sized city in the country. Jobs in the social security administration, especially in smaller towns, are good jobs. I used to live right across the street from the Social Security office in Bay City, Michigan. There was a guy that worked there that was about my age and making much more than I was in salary and I don’t think he had ever graduated from college. He had a very good job. The Social Security Administration has jobs for students and others in areas like information technology, legal, law enforcement, and more. For potential job opportunities, visit: http://www.ssa.gov/careers/.



 

The National Security Agency

The National Security Agency or NSA is an ultra secret agency that works primarily with intelligence. Opportunities are available in engineering, mathematics, cryptanalysis, computer science, intelligence analysis, and more for students, professionals, and transitioning military, alike. It’s an interesting agency to work for, to say the least. Their website is http://www.nsa.gov/careers.



One very interesting and specialized site is called FedsHireVets.gov. If you have done military service, this is a great site for you.



 

Jobs with the Secret Service

The Secret Service is tasked with two primary objectives. The first is protecting the President, former presidents, and other high-ranking officials. The second is investigating numerous financial crimes including money laundering, counterfeiting, and computer fraud. You can explore a wide range of career opportunities including those in clerical, administrative, scientific, and special agent roles on their website at www.secretservice.gov/opportunities.shtml.



 

Jobs with the Internal Revenue Service

The Internal Revenue Service or IRS is responsible for ensuring there is money available to fund all of the essential services that make this country great. As an employee with the IRS, you may work as an accountant, a file clerk, an economist, a lawyer, a tax specialist, or something else altogether. The IRS job site is http://www.jobs.irs.gov.



 

Jobs with the Justice Department

The Department of Justice is responsible for protecting citizens and preserving our freedoms. You may find opportunities as a lawyer or a special agent, with some job openings available even to students. To view current job vacancies, go to the Department of Justice website at: http://www.justice.gov/careers/careers.html.



One of the things I want to caution you about is when you look for federal jobs, only sites that end in “.gov” are real federal sites most of the time. It’s important for you to understand this because I don’t want you to be misled. USAJobs.gov is obviously a real government site, but FederalGovernmentJobs.us has absolutely nothing to do with the federal government.



Even though they’re trying to act like they’re a federal government site, there is a big ad for Monster.com at the top. These guys are making money with keywords and that sort of thing. It’s not a real federal government job site.

The same goes for FederalJobs.net, DCJobSource.com, and JobsFed.com. They’re trying to look like they’re federal government job sites and they’re selling books, but they’re not the real thing. So, when you’re looking for federal jobs, be careful and make sure you’re on a real federal government site. Use the sites I have discussed above.

For this sector, I recommend staying away from the big job sites. The federal government is very efficient in filling positions. Instead, check with the major agencies and also USAJobs.gov when looking for jobs in the federal government.

Do not be freaked out by the long descriptions. Government jobs are notorious in terms of having very long descriptions and often it’s difficult to find out what the job is about.

I’ve been astonished by how long some of these job descriptions are when I’ve gone through them in the past. My advice? Take your time. Read them very closely. Federal government job descriptions are typically not worded well, so work through them carefully.

There are an astonishing number of federal government jobs out there and the salaries don’t often differ from their private business counterparts. You may even find the salaries are higher with the government. Look very closely at federal government jobs when you’re doing your search. You might be surprised at the depth of jobs they have available.

 

Here is a Complete List of Federal Government Departments and Agencies You Can Check for Government Jobs:

Name of Department/Agency	Homepage	Jobs Area
Access Board	Homepage	None Found
Administration for Native Americans	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Administration on Aging (AoA)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Administration on Developmental Disabilities	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Administrative Committee of the Federal Register	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Administrative Conference of the United States	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation	Homepage	None Found
African Development Foundation	Homepage	None Found
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)	Homepage	None Found
Agency for International Development	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Agricultural Marketing Service	Homepage	None Found
Agricultural Research Service	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Agriculture Department	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Air Force	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (Treasury)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Bureau (Justice)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
American Battle Monuments Commission	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
AmeriCorps Recruiting	Homepage	None Found
AMTRAK (National Railroad Passenger Corporation)	Homepage	None Found
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service	Homepage	None Found
Antitrust Division	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Appalachian Regional Commission	Homepage	None Found
Architect of the Capitol	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board)	Homepage	None Found
Archives (National Archives and Records Administration)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Arctic Research Commission	Homepage	None Found
Armed Forces Retirement Home	Homepage	None Found
Arms Control and International Security	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Army	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Army Corps of Engineers	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Interagency Coordinating Committee	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Atlantic Fleet Forces Command	Homepage	None Found
Bankruptcy Courts	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation	Homepage	None Found
Bonneville Power Administration	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Botanic Garden	Homepage	None Found
Broadcasting Board of Governors (Voice of America, Radio|TV Marti and more)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Bureau of Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade (Treasury)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (Justice)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Bureau of Industry and Security	Homepage	None Found
Bureau of International Labor Affairs	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Bureau of Justice Statistics	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Bureau of Labor Statistics	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)	Homepage	None Found
Bureau of Prisons	Homepage	None Found
Bureau of Public Debt	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Bureau of Reclamation	Homepage	None Found
Bureau of the Census	Homepage	None Found
Bureau of the Engraving and Printing	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Bureau of the Public Debt	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Bureau of Transportation Statistics	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Capitol Visitor Center	Homepage	None Found
Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition	Homepage	None Found
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)	Homepage	None Found
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Central Command (CENTCOM)	Homepage	None Found
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Chief Acquisition Officers Council	Homepage	None Found
Chief Financial Officers Council	Homepage	None Found
Chief Human Capital Officers Council	Homepage	None Found
Chief Information Officers Council	Homepage	None Found
Citizens’ Stamp Advisory Committee	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)	Homepage	None Found
Civilian Radioactive Waste Management	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Coast Guard	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Commerce Department	Homepage	None Found
Commission on Civil Rights	Homepage	None Found
Commission on Fine Arts	Homepage	None Found
Commission on International Religious Freedom	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements	Homepage	None Found
Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States	Homepage	None Found
Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS)	Homepage	None Found
Community Planning and Development	Homepage	None Found
Compliance, Office of	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US CERT)	Homepage	None Found
Congressional Budget Office (CBO)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Congressional Research Service	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Constitution Center	Homepage	None Found
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Coordinating Council on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention	Homepage	None Found
Copyright Office	Homepage	None Found
Corporation for National and Community Service	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Corps of Engineers	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Council of Economic Advisers	Homepage	None Found
Council on Environmental Quality	Homepage	None Found
Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces	Homepage	None Found
Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims	Homepage	None Found
Court of Federal Claims	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Court of International Trade	Homepage	None Found
Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Defense Acquisition University	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Defense Commissary Agency	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Defense Contract Management Agency	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Defense Field Activities	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Defense Finance and Accounting Services (DFAS)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Defense Legal Services Agency	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)	Homepage	None Found
Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Defense Security Service (DSS)	Homepage	None Found
Defense Technical Information Center	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Delaware River Basin Commission	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Denali Commission	Homepage	None Found
Department of Commerce (DOC)	Homepage	None Found
Department of Defense (DOD)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Department of Defense Inspector General	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Department of Education (ED)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Department of Energy (DOE)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)	Homepage	None Found
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)	Homepage	None Found
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)	Homepage	None Found
Department of Justice (DOJ)	Homepage	None Found
Department of Labor (DOL)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Department of State (DOS)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Department of the Interior (DOI)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Department of the Treasury	Homepage	None Found
Department of Transportation (DOT)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Director of National Intelligence, Office of	Homepage	None Found
Domestic Policy Council	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Drug Enforcement Administration	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Economic Adjustment Office	Homepage	None Found
Economic Analysis, Bureau of	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Economic Development Administration	Homepage	None Found
Economic Research Service	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Economics and Statistics Administration	Homepage	None Found
Education Department	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Election Assistance Commission	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Elementary and Secondary Education, Office of	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Employment and Training Administration	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Endangered Species Committee	Homepage	None Found
Energy Department	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Energy Information Administration	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
English Language Acquisition Office	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Engraving and Printing, Bureau of	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Environmental Management (Energy Department)	Homepage	None Found
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
European Command	Homepage	None Found
Executive Office for Immigration Review	Homepage	None Found
Export-Import Bank of the United States	Homepage	None Found
Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO)	Homepage	None Found
Farm Credit Administration	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Farm Service Agency	Homepage	None Found
Federal Accounting Standards Advisory Board	Homepage	None Found
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Federal Bureau of Prisons	Homepage	None Found
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Federal Consulting Group	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Federal Election Commission	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Federal Executive Boards	Homepage	None Found
Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council	Homepage	None Found
Federal Financing Bank	Homepage	None Found
Federal Geographic Data Committee	Homepage	None Found
Federal Highway Administration	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Federal Housing Finance Agency	Homepage	None Found
Federal Interagency Committee for the Management of Noxious and Exotic Weeds	Homepage	None Found
Federal Interagency Committee on Education	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Federal Interagency Council on Statistical Policy	Homepage	None Found
Federal Judicial Center	Homepage	None Found
Federal Labor Relations Authority	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Federal Law Enforcement Training Center	Homepage	None Found
Federal Library and Information Center Committee	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Federal Maritime Commission	Homepage	None Found
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service	Homepage	None Found
Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission	Homepage	None Found
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)	Homepage	None Found
Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Federal Railroad Administration	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Federal Reserve System	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board	Homepage	None Found
Federal Student Aid Information Center	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)	Homepage	None Found
Federal Transit Administration	Homepage	None Found
Financial Management Service (Treasury Department)	Homepage	None Found
Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, National Commission	Homepage	None Found
Fish and Wildlife Service	Homepage	None Found
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)	Homepage	None Found
Food Safety and Inspection Service	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Foreign Agricultural Service	Homepage	None Found
Foreign Claims Settlement Commission	Homepage	None Found
Forest Service	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Fossil Energy	Homepage	None Found
Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
General Services Administration (GSA)	Homepage	None Found
Geological Survey	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Global Affairs (State Department)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Government Accountability Office (GAO)	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Government Ethics, Office of	Homepage	Jobs/Careers
Government National Mortgage Association	Homepage	None Found
Government Printing Office (GPO)	Homepage	Jobs/Ca If this article has helped you in some way, will you say thanks by sharing it through a share, like, a link, or an email to someone you think would appreciate the reference. Email Testimonial of the Week I was facing the seven-year itch at my previous workplace. Thanks to EmploymentCrossing, I'm committed to a fantastic sales job in downtown Manhattan. Joseph L New York, NY Share Your Testimonial + Read More Testimonial Sign Up now *Email Sign up now! Only TravelingCrossing consolidates every job it can find in the domain and puts all of the job listings it locates in one place. We have more jobs than any other job board. We list jobs you will not find elsewhere that are hidden in small regional publications and employer websites We collect jobs from more than 4,429,376 websites and post them on our site. We are private, and therefore far fewer people are applying for the jobs on our site than are applying for those on public job boards.